Press Release: Joe Borg welcomes greater protection for marine resources in South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO)

Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Commissioner Joe Borg has welcomed the positive results reached at the annual meeting of SEAFO, currently chaired by the EU, which ends on 5 October 2006 in Windhoek, Namibia. The main debate centred around the issue of sensitive habitats and the Scientific Council recommendation to close certain areas with seamounts and conduct small scale experimental fisheries to gather data. The EU’s proposal to close 10 such areas for 2007-2010 was approved and most of these cover areas where no fishing has occurred to date. Other measures to fight illegal fishing practices were agreed, among others a ban on transhipments in the SEAFO area, and a process to identify and blacklist vessels practising illegal fishing activities.